Millionaire Hot Seat
| Company type | Television program |
|---|---|
| Industry | Television broadcasting |
| Founded | April 20, 2009 |
| Headquarters | Melbourne , Australia |
Key people | Eddie McGuire (host) |
| Products | Quiz show |
Millionaire Hot Seat, often referred to simply as Hot Seat, is an Australian quiz show derived from the original Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?. The program debuted on the Nine Network on 20 April 2009, with Eddie McGuire as host, adopting a format closely aligned with its predecessor.
History
Speculation about a condensed version of Millionaire emerged in February 2009 and was confirmed when a pilot episode titled Millionaire: Russian Roulette was produced in March 2009. The series was officially launched under the name Millionaire Hot Seat, later abbreviated to Hot Seat. Initially promoted as a limited series, it began airing in the 5:00–6:00 pm weekday slot on 20 April 2009, directly competing with Seven Network’s Deal or No Deal. The format was streamlined into a 30-minute program featuring modified rules inspired by the Italian adaptation.
An earlier half-hour version of the original Australian Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? had briefly aired in 2004 as a ratings booster. After the initial run of 20 episodes, Nine commissioned a second season that premiered on 18 May 2009.
A special prime-time installment aired on 8 June 2009, showcasing the first million-dollar question within this format. Although the contestant answered incorrectly, host McGuire awarded him a holiday package and spending money. This special attracted 1.22 million viewers nationwide, significantly surpassing typical ratings for its regular timeslot.
Production originally took place at GTV9 Richmond studios before relocating to Docklands Studios Melbourne in February 2011. The milestone 500th episode aired on 3 August 2011, highlighted by a contestant winning $100,000.
In August 2011, participants from The Block competed in a charity edition aimed at winning $1 million but ended up securing only $1,000. A charity special featuring contestants from The Farmer Wants a Wife aired in October 2011, with the final player winning $1,000 for charitable donation.
The show went on hiatus during the London 2012 Olympics and introduced a Western Australia-exclusive version in 2014. The 1,000th episode was broadcast on 2 June 2014; that day's contestant took home $50,000 while all previous participants received $1,000 each.
On 16 March 2015, Gerard Lane from Victoria won a jackpot totaling $541,000. In April of the same year, the program underwent its first major update since launch: featuring a refreshed introduction sequence, an LED set redesign, new graphics employing the Eurostile typeface, and the addition of the Switch lifeline for final questions—though this lifeline was briefly removed before being reinstated later in 2015.
The series reached its 1,500th episode milestone on 12 October 2016. Later that year in December, Nine extended Millionaire Hot Seat to a one-hour format starting in 2017 to address declining viewership against competitor The Chase Australia. Despite this change, it continued to lag approximately 100,000 viewers behind The Chase, but played a role in sustaining Nine News’ ratings leadership across Australia's eastern states.
In February 2020, the Adelaide broadcast time shifted to 4:00 pm to support underperforming Nine News ratings. Due to COVID-19 quarantine protocols affecting McGuire, production temporarily moved to Queensland in September before returning to Melbourne studios by November.
Beginning January 2021, the show aired at 3:00 pm in Perth after swapping time slots with Tipping Point. The program celebrated its 2,500th episode in April 2023 during its fourteenth anniversary.
On 4 August 2023, Nine Network announced that the series would conclude with final episodes airing through January 2024. It will be succeeded by an Australian adaptation of Tipping Point, hosted by Todd Woodbridge. The last new episode premiered on 29 November 2023, with reruns continuing until January 2024.
Looking forward, ITV and Sony Pictures Television have confirmed plans for a British version of Hot Seat set to air in 2026 with Jeremy Clarkson hosting an initial run of eighteen episodes. Casting began in August 2025 amid rumors that production will transition from Nine Network to Network Ten and be managed by Curio Pictures.
Format
| Question | Prize |
|---|---|
| 15 | $1,000,000 |
| 14 | $250,000 |
| 13 | $100,000 |
| 12 | $50,000 |
| 11 | $20,000 |
| 10 | $10,000 |
| 9 | $6,000 |
| 8 | $4,000 |
| 7 | $2,500 |
| 6 | $1,500 |
| 5 | $1,000 |
| 4 | $500 |
| 3 | $300 |
| 2 | $200 |
| 1 | $100 |
Hot Seat is a more rapid variant of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? in which six participants compete simultaneously. Contestants take turns occupying the "hot seat," aiming to be in that position for the final question. The maximum prize starts at $1 million; however, incorrect responses decrease the top prize down through the prize ladder to a minimum of $10,000. After five correct answers, a single guaranteed level is established at $1,000; the final hot seat occupant either wins this amount or the highest remaining prize value.
Each question is subject to a strict time limit: 15 seconds for questions 1 through 5, 30 seconds for questions 6 through 10, and 45 seconds for questions 11 through 15. Players confirm their chosen answer by stating "lock it in" or "final answer." Every contestant has access to one lifeline—the Pass—which allows them to skip their turn and move to the end of the queue; the subsequent player must then answer that question and cannot pass it further. If the timer expires before an answer is locked in and the Pass remains unused, it is automatically activated. Failure to answer correctly or running out of time without a Pass leads to elimination and a reduction in the top prize.
Contrary to the classic version, participants cannot voluntarily leave with their current winnings—they are required to attempt every question presented. The game concludes when all contestants have been eliminated or when the final question is resolved. A correct response on the last question awards its full value; an incorrect response or elimination at this stage grants $1,000 if the safe level was previously attained. Contestants who never enter active play are invited back for future episodes.
Variations
Starting in late 2011, episodes incorporated audio and visual questions which generally appeared early during each show.
In 2015, a "Switch" lifeline was introduced, enabling contestants to replace their final question if dissatisfied with it. This lifeline was briefly removed on May 8 but returned for one week in September. Later that year saw the addition of an "Ask a Friend" lifeline that allowed participants who answered three consecutive questions correctly beyond the $1,000 safety net to consult a designated audience member. This feature also aired for one week in September 2015.
2017–2023
On January 23, 2017, responding to strong ratings from Seven's The Chase Australia, Nine revamped Millionaire Hot Seat by merging traditional elements with Hot Seat gameplay. The show was extended to a full hour and divided into two segments: Fastest Finger First and Hot Seat.
In Fastest Finger First, six contestants answer up to fifteen questions by selecting one correct option within a shortened time frame of ten seconds (reduced from twenty). This round reverted to choosing a single answer rather than ordering options and included one audio plus one visual question. The contestant with the highest number of correct answers—and fastest completion time in case of ties—wins $1,000 which they may keep or trade for a lifeline during the main game. The Hot Seat round then begins with Seat 1 regardless of Fastest Finger First results.
During Hot Seat play, the Fastest Finger First winner can exchange their $1,000 prize for an extra lifeline in addition to the standard Pass:
- 50/50 – eliminates two incorrect choices.
- Switch – substitutes the current question with another of comparable difficulty.
- Ask a Friend – permits consultation with an audience member chosen beforehand; during this process, the player reads out the question and answer options without viewing their companion.
Activating any lifeline resets the question timer.
For episodes filmed without a studio audience due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia, the Ask a Friend lifeline was replaced by Ask the Host. In this variation, the host remains unaware of the correct answer until revealed by the system and offers guidance during consultation before restarting the timer.
Edwin Daly (29 August 2016)
On 29 August 2016, Edwin Daly, aged 67, became the first contestant from Australia—and the fourth globally—to secure the grand prize of AU$1,000,000 on the Hot Seat.
Antony McManus (25 November 2021)
Antony McManus claimed the AU$1,000,000 top prize on 25 November 2021, becoming the second and final Australian player to do so on the Hot Seat. He utilized the Switch lifeline, earned during Fastest Finger First, to replace the original question.
Original question (answered following use of Switch lifeline):
Replaced question:
Controversy
During one episode, a contestant provided an answer to the final question but was informed by McGuire that time had elapsed. After a discussion with producers to clarify whether this constituted a "pass" or a $1,000 prize, the contestant maintained that two seconds remained. In the end, she was awarded $1,000.